ADC: Court Strikes Out Suit Kingibe, Fines Plaintiffs, Lawyer

 

The Federal High Court, Abuja, has struck out a suit seeking to prohibit the lawmaker representing the Federal Capital Territory at the Senate, Ireti Kingibe, from participating in all activities of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

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In a ruling, Justice Peter Lifu held that the issue of discipline and suspension upon which the suit was predicated was an internal affairs of the ADC that did not need the intervention of any court.

Senator Kingibe was said to have been suspended on March 10 by her Wuse Ward executives and also allegedly ratified by two-thirds of the leaders on allegations of anti-party activities and disregard to the Constitution of the ADC.

In the suit filed on their behalf by a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Kolawole Olowookere, and argued before Justice Lifu, the aggrieved ADC members in Wuse, applied for an order of interim injunction restraining Kingibe from parading herself as a member of ADC pending the hearing and determination of their motion on notice for interlocutory injunction.

They also asked the judge to restrain the senator from performing any function, attending meetings, or performing activities reserved for ADC members or representing the party in any activities.

The ward executive committee also asked that she be restrained from further interfering with the administration of the ward, ward register, and other activities.

The suit was predicated on five grounds, among which are that Mrs. Kingibe was placed on suspension due to anti-party activities, gross misconduct, and confiscation of the ward’s statutory records.

However, in his ruling, Justice Lifu wondered why those who suspended the senator were in the court to seek validation of their own action by the court.

The judge held that it is Kingibe, who was suspended, who should be in court to fight against the disciplinary action against her, adding that the plaintiffs were not sure of themselves in their own action, hence, they rushed to the court.

While holding that the suit was frivolous, baseless, and unfounded, Justice Lifu invoked sections 82 and 83 of the Electoral Act and imposed a ₦10 million fine on the plaintiffs to be paid to the FCT Senator.

In the same vein, the judge imposed another fine of ₦10 million against the lawyer who filed the frivolous suit on behalf of the plaintiffs to be also paid to Ireti Kingibe.

 

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